New York motorist, 20, is arrested after reversing car over three-year-old boy who was killed in front of his heartbroken father
- Kevin Gomez, 20, was taken into custody for allegedly backing a white 2014 Infiniti Q50 sedan into Quintas Chen, 3
- Chen was immediately taken to Booth Memorial Hospital, where he died
- Gomez has been charged with leaving the scene of an accident and driving without a license
A 20-year-old New York man has been arrested after a three-year-old boy was hit by a car and killed in front of his father in a Dunkin Donuts parking lot.
Kevin Gomez was taken into custody for allegedly being the driver behind a white 2014 Infiniti Q50 sedan that struck Quintas Chen on Wednesday evening.
Gomez was arrested Thursday afternoon and is charged with leaving the scene of an accident and driving without a license.
Police told DailyMail.com that the toddler was crossing the street in the middle of College Point Boulevard around 6:41 p.m. when the driver pulled away from their parking spot.
The child fell to the ground when the car hit him and was then struck by the sedan's side tires. The suspect continued to drive away from the scene.
Chen was immediately taken to Booth Memorial Hospital, where he died.
Kevin Gomez was arrested for driving his white 2014 Infiniti Q50 sedan into Quintas Chen and hitting him last night
The child fell to the ground when the car hit him and was then struck by the driver's side tires of the sedan
Officials later found the Infiniti abandoned a few blocks away.
The child was walking back to their home from the doctor's office with his father Jimmy Chen when he was hit.
He told CBS: 'He was a sweet boy. He was very cute. He is so loving. We miss him so much.'
His mother Karen Ng said as she choked back tears: “I don't think I've spent enough time with him.”
Describing her son as a “cute and adorable” boy, she said: “His teachers say he learns quite quickly.”
The driver was in a white four-door sedan and drove away from the scene, continuing south on College Point Boulevard
Police told DailyMail.com that the driver was pulling away from their parking space when he hit the three-year-old
On the day of the suspect's arrest, local lawmakers and police issued an urgent appeal to the public
On the day of the suspect's arrest, local lawmakers and police issued an urgent appeal to the public.
Queens Assemblyman Ron Kim said the tragedy was every parent's “worst nightmare” and said an incident like this “could have happened to any of us.”
“Obviously they are in complete shock and traumatized,” he said of the grieving parents.
“They want to make sure everyone is held accountable and that there is justice for what happened to their child.”
“I know how dangerous it is at College Point; As you can see, the vehicles are parked and backed up every day. It is not a safe sidewalk for families.”
Officials believe the car was parked in an illegal zone, which is why he rushed to leave the area.
The NYPD's Highway District Collision Investigation Squad continues to investigate the crash.